Virgin River is far from the first Netflix television series that is based on books. In fact, some of Netlix’s most important properties got their beginnings on the page, including The Witcher, Bridgerton, and Heartstopper. However, the ways in which the streaming service adapts the story from book-to-TV is vital. Where some shows may suffer from not being accurate to the books, others actually benefit from moving away from their original sources. And when it comes to series like Virgin River, the book series is so expansive that some tough decisions have to eventually be made.
The Virgin River Series Is Finished (For Now)
There Are 21 Virgin River Books
As of 2024, Robyn Carr’s Virgin River book series is finished. According to Carr’s website, there are 21 main Virgin River books and an abundance of anthologies.
The final book, “Return to Virgin River,” was published back in October 2020, while Carr’s most recent Virgin River release was a reissue of “Bring Me Home for Christmas,” which occurred in October 2023.
Although Carr may return to the Virgin River franchise someday, it seems that, for now, the story has come to a definite end. This means that Netflix has a definite number of books still left to adapt.
Every Virgin River Main Book
Release Year
Virgin River
2007
Shelter Mountain
2007
Whispering Rock
2007
A Virgin River Christmas
2008
Second Chance Pass
2009
Temptation Ridge
2009
Paradise Valley
2009
Under the Christmas Tree
2009
Forbidden Falls
2010
Angel’s Peak
2010
Moonlight Road
2010
Midnight Confessions
2010
Promise Canyon
2011
Wildman Creek
2011
Harvest Moon
2011
Bring Me Home for Christmas
2011
Hidden Summit
2012
Redwood Bend
2012
Sunrise Point
2012
My Kind of Christmas
2012
Return to Virgin River
2020
How Netflix’s Virgin River Differs From The Books
The TV Show Takes Creative Liberties From Robyn Carr’s Books
Although Virgin River is based on books, the series does not necessarily stay true to its source material. In fact, there are many differences between the Virgin Rivers books and the TV series. For example, Mel and Jack may be the main characters of Netflix’s Virgin River, but after 21 books, Virgin River changes its leads. And more than that, Virgin River’s side characters have different storylines. In the books, Lizzie is pregnant, Charmaine has a much smaller role, and Doc is crueler than he is in the television series.
What’s Left For Virgin River To Adapt?
Many Book Characters Have Not Made It Into The Show
Virgin River is so significantly changed from the original book series that the show is based on that it is difficult to determine what storylines the series would still adapt from the novels. The show has even used storylines that belong to supporting characters in the novels and given them to the main characters as part of the way the show has restructured. One aspect that fans of the books consistently mention as missing, however, is the Riordan family.
Because the books rotate through different main characters, unlike the show, a lot of characters that play supporting roles in the novels, or become main characters in their own, are completely missing from the show. The Riordan family consists of a widowed mother and five sons. Members of the Riordan family make their first appearance in the sixth book of the Virgin River series when one of the brothers comes back to town to do repair work on some cabins he owns.
The family does not appear until Mel has been living in Virgin River for a few years, and the show’s timeline seems to be very compressed compared to the books, so they could still appear, especially if Netflix continues renewing the popular series. Like most of the male characters in the Virgin River series, all of the Riordan brothers have military connections. In their case, they all join either the Air Force or the Navy and return to their hometown following their services. There, love stories for each of the brothers play out.
Also missing is the Sloan family, who appear in the final novel of the series. That includes Kaylee Sloan, a novelist who moves to Virgin River to grieve the loss of her mother. Her estranged father and old friends of her mother play a role in her story, but her story is set years after Mel first moves to the town, so there is still a lot of ground to cover in the timeline of the books.
Of course, Netflix might not include any of these characters in Virgin River at all since the streamer is also considering spinoffs of the show. There is currently a spinoff in development for Mel’s parents set in the 1970s, which is not based on the novels. Characters that have yet to be featured in the series, or storylines that have been skipped over, could be present in potential spinoff shows.
Virgin River Is Not Robyn Carr’s Only Ongoing Series
Carr Writes Other Romance Series And Standalones
Even though Robyn Carr has finished the Virgin River series, that does not mean her writings have ended. Carr actually has a number of other book series such as “Thunder Point,” “Grace Valley,” and “Sullivan’s Crossing.” Carr also publishes standalone books that also delve into the romance and drama genres. In this way, Robyn Carr has plenty of content beyond Virgin River, which means that, even though Virgin River has ended on the page, other stories like it continue to live on.
